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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25507939">Burden</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmperorChris/pseuds/EmperorChris'>EmperorChris</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>ShuYuka Week 2020 [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Persona 3, Persona Series</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Day 6 - Hurt/Comfort, F/M, ShuYuka Week 2020</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 05:20:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,796</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25507939</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmperorChris/pseuds/EmperorChris</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Makoto has always been there for Yukari when she sought comfort.<br/>When it is Makoto that has a breakdown, it is time for Yukari to repay the favor.</p>
<p>(Written for ShuYuka Week 2020 Day 6 - Hurt/Comfort)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Arisato Minato/Takeba Yukari, Persona 3 Protagonist/Takeba Yukari, Takeba Yukari/Yuuki Makoto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>ShuYuka Week 2020 [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1838875</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Burden</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Please note that I'm new to fanfics and that English isn't my first language.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>
    <em>12/10</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>Iwatodai Dorm</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>-Lounge</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    
  </strong>
</p>
<p>The Team minus Aigis was gathered in the dorm’s lounge to discuss the recent events. It turned out that Ryoji Mochizuki, a student at Gekkoukan High, was in fact a shadow. His existence prophesized the coming of Nyx, Goddess of the Night, who would bring about the Fall, meaning the end of the world. After the revelation Ryoji gave them a choice, whether they would await the day of the Fall, completely aware of their inevitable demises or to kill Ryoji, forgetting about the dark hour and living a happy live unaware of their incoming deaths.</p>
<p>“Well… it’s been a week. What’re we gonna do?”, Yukari asked the group in a completely calm manner, giving a short glance to Makoto, who was looking at the floor, with eyes that are devoid of life. And who could blame him? Someone he considered to be one of, if not, his best friend turned out to be the one who killed his parents and is now about to bring about the end of everything, killing everyone else that is important to him.</p>
<p>Fuuka was giving Yukari a shocked expression, making Yukari turn to her. “You okay, Fuuka?”, Yukari asked worriedly.</p>
<p>“Y-yeah, it’s just…”, Fuuka takes a quick breather, “You just seem so calm…”</p>
<p>“We have to make a decision. I mean, it’s been such a drag around here and no one will go to Tartarus.”, Yukari argues back.</p>
<p>“You’re right…”, Mitsuru nods, “We humans are quite resilient. We can adapt to any situation when given enough time.”, she added.</p>
<p>“So, how about it everyone? Why don’t we talk about it?”, she asked as she looked at everyone.</p>
<p>As they discussed their decision, Junpei and Makoto remained silent. After a while Yukari turns to Junpei.</p>
<p>“What about you Junpei? Have you decided?”, she asked, he shakes his head in response.</p>
<p>“No…”, he muttered.</p>
<p>Yukari smirks at him, “What’s the matter? Scared~?”, she asked in a teasing voice.</p>
<p>Junpei turns to her with an angry look on his face, “What the hell do you mean by that? Do you think this is a joke?”, he snapped at her.</p>
<p>“Junpei, I…”, Yukari tries to apologize as she flinches.</p>
<p>“We’re going to die, OF COURSE I’M SCARED!”, he starts yelling as he gets up. ”You all need to wake up! This is death we’re talking about here!”, Junpei shouts as he glowers at everyone in the room.</p>
<p>“Then, what do you want to do? Do you want to kill him?”, Mitsuru argued back.</p>
<p>“There nothing I <em>can </em>do. <em>He</em>’s the only one who can kill him.”, he scoffed as he glares at Makoto, making him turn to his attention to Junpei.</p>
<p>“Come to think of it, it was all <em>his </em>fault.”, he remarked as he walked up to him and grabbed him by his collar.</p>
<p>“You had that think inside you and you didn’t even know it… You raised it dammit! This is all your fault!”, Makoto’s eyes widen, “So, you should do something about it! You’re supposed to be <em>special</em>, right?”, Junpei spat out. Makoto didn’t respond, he only averted his gaze, trying to hide his feelings of pain, anger, sadness, and guilt from everyone.</p>
<p>“SO? What are you gonna do you bastard?!”, Junpei yelled at him while raising his fist.</p>
<p>“That’s enough Junpei!”, Akihiko shouts as he pulls Junpei away and punches him in the face.</p>
<p>“Stop it, Junpei! It’s not his fault!”, Yukari snapped at him as she got up herself.</p>
<p>“The only reason we’ve been given a choice is because Makoto carried it!”, she yelled at Junpei and turned to Makoto.</p>
<p>“Hey, are you alright?”, she asked softly. Makoto once again didn’t respond, instead he looked down at the floor with his bangs covering his face, hiding his horrified expression.</p>
<p><em>“Was it really all my fault?”, </em>Makoto thought to himself. It was then that Junpei’s words echoed through his mind.</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span class="u">“This is all your fault!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>Suddenly Makoto felt his head throbbing. He holds a hand to his head and his breath hitches. He turns around and heads to the door.</p>
<p>“Makoto, where are you going?”, Yukari asked with deep concern for her boyfriend.</p>
<p>“I-I just need some fresh air…”, he answered as his voice cracked and slammed the door behind him shut.</p>
<p>There was a pregnant silence in the room, until Junpei got up. “Look, Yuka-tan, I’m sorry about what I did earlier, I just-”, “No, it’s okay, I shouldn’t have teased you like that.”, Yukari interrupted him as she sighed and looked back at him.</p>
<p>“If you want to apologize to anyone, it should be Yuki.”, Mitsuru said sternly as she looked at him.</p>
<p>“You clearly went way too far there Junpei.”, Akihiko gives him a disapproving look, “Just because he doesn’t show it, doesn’t mean he’s not scared. As a matter of fact, he’s not the only one, I’m pretty sure all of us are.”, Akihiko stated as he looks at his trembling hand. Junpei nods sheepishly and looks at the ground.</p>
<p>“What are we going to do about Makoto-kun?”, Fuuka asked worriedly.</p>
<p>“We should give him some space, I think he needs it right now.”, Yukari explained as she sat back down, frowning at the floor.</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>30 minutes later</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>The rest of SEES concluded their meeting and the boys left, leaving the girls in the lounge while waiting quietly for their leader.</p>
<p>“It’s getting late, we should look for him before the dark hour hits.”, Mitsuru broke the silence.</p>
<p>“I’ll go look for him, I think I should be able to comfort him.”, Yukari said as she gets up and puts on her jacket.</p>
<p>“Alright, I’ll track him for you.”, Fuuka said as she puts aside laptop and gets her evoker, only to be stopped by Yukari.</p>
<p>“There’s no need to, I think I have a hunch where he could be.”, Yukari stated confidently.</p>
<p>“Very well, but please do give us a call if you cannot find him there.”, Mitsuru replied, getting a nod from Yukari.</p>
<p>“Alright, I’m off.”, Yukari said as she went out the door.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>Moonlight Bridge</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>Yukari finds Makoto exactly where she suspected him to be. He was standing on Moonlight Bridge, staring off into the distance. Even though his expression remained emotionless, the tears trailing down his face portrayed his true feelings. She sent a text to Fuuka, telling her that she found him and slowly walks towards Makoto. Hearing her footsteps, he turns to her and looks at her with his bloodshot eyes not trying to hide his tears at all.</p>
<p>“You’re gonna catch a cold, you know?”, she said as she approached him</p>
<p>“What do you want?”, he asked in a sad tone.</p>
<p>“I was worried, so I decided to look for you”, Yukari said softly.</p>
<p> “Why do you even care?”, Makoto scoffed as he steps away from her.</p>
<p>“What’s that supposed mean? Of course, I would care, I’m your girlfriend after all!”, Yukari claimed with a shocked voice.</p>
<p>“How do you still want to be my girlfriend when I’ve caused nothing but trouble? Everyone is going to die, and it’ll be my fault no matter what I do!”, he shouted with a sorrowful expression and his hands trembled. “This wouldn’t have happened if I just died that day!”, he muttered as the tears on his face kept spilling.</p>
<p>Yukari teared up at his self-loathing. This is how he truly felt, how much he’s been suffering beneath the stoic mask. But why? Why did he have to keep all of these burdens to himself? Why wouldn’t he rely on someone else for help? Why wouldn’t he rely on her? She slowly walks up to him and envelopes him into a tight hug.</p>
<p>“You idiot!”, she said as she started sobbing. “I thought I told you that you can rely on me. I thought that you would be able to confide in me when something bothered you. So why? Why do you keep treating every hardship we face as a burden for you alone to bear?”, she scolded him, and Makoto’s eyes widen at her words.</p>
<p>“I just wanted to be strong for the others, you guys always seemed to rely on me, so I thought, that I had to be reliable enough to be there for you guys.”, he argued. “I thought that if I bore those burdens, I would be able to see you guys happy.”, he started sobbing,  “That I would never have to see anyone else suffer like I did!”. Yukari kept listening to him while she kept rubbing his back in order to comfort him.</p>
<p>“I understand that, but you don’t have to be alone.”, she said softly as her tears kept trailing down her face. “I want you to be happy too, Makoto. I want you to <em>live.”, </em>she added as she started sobbing again.</p>
<p>Suddenly, Makoto’s mind flashed back to the day of the accident, remembering his mother’s last words before dying.</p>
<p><strong><em><span class="u">“live”</span></em></strong>, a soft voice rang through his words.</p>
<p>Makoto bit his trembling lip and finally returned Yukari’s hug. “Please don’t leave me! I don’t wanna lose you!”, he pleaded in a meek and desperate voice.</p>
<p>“I won’t, I promise! I love you too much to just leave you like that!”, Yukari replied as she kept crying and tightened the hug.</p>
<p>“I love you too, Yukari.”, he managed to choke out in-between sobs.</p>
<p>They stayed like this for a while, crying in each other’s arms and trying to comfort the other. Once they have both calmed down, Makoto breaks up the hug wipes away his last remaining tears.</p>
<p>“Are you feeling better now?”, Yukari asked as she wiped away her own tears.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I think I really needed that. Thanks.”, he replied in his normal tone and gave her warm smile.</p>
<p>“Anytime Makoto. You were there for me when I needed comfort, so it’s natural that I pay you back. I’m glad that you’re alright now.”, Yukari responded as she gave him a loving look. Makoto then takes out his phone and looks at the time.</p>
<p>“The Dark Hour starts in about half an hour, we should hurry back.”, Makoto said as he looks back at her.</p>
<p>“Yeah, let’s go. Mitsuru-senpai and Fuuka are probably really worried right now.”, she looks at him ,”Oh, and Makoto?”, Yukari asked as they started walking. Makoto looks at her.</p>
<p>“Can you please promise me that you will try to not bear everything by yourself from now on?”, she asked with a pleading voice.</p>
<p>“Yes, I promise. I will talk to you if something is bothering me. You have my word.”, Makoto replied as he gave her another loving smile.</p>
<p>Both of them then leaned into each other and shared one last passionate kiss, before finally heading back to the dorm.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I almost teared up when I wrote this because of the raw emotion that I wanted to emphasize on.<br/>Let's hope it turned out well.<br/>Hope you guys enjoyed reading this story as much as I had fun writing it :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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